White Collar: At Heart
by Phoenix-cry
Summary: It's the call of the wild vs the bond of friendship after tangling with the wrong priceless antique gives Neal new shape shifting powers that offer him a new freedom but also come at a high cost... Rated K for some suggestive language.
1. Chapter 1

NOTE: Okay this one really needs some background. I was watching DeKay's new show Second Chance (he plays an FBI Agent with an unusual CI...don't ask) anyway, during a scene filmed out in the woods I noticed that DeKay ended up with a ladybug on his lapel during a dramatic moment. I asked Kanarek13 of Live Journal if she'd caught it since she does awesome screen caps of the show. She suggested that the bug was Shapeshifter!Neal...the...uh...the conversation went down hill from there. ;)

To see the screen cap that inspired this story search for **Shapeshifter**! **Neal** on live journal and either follow the link through my posting of At Heart there or through Kanarek13's page.

Just playing around with this story, not sure how long it will be or how often I'll update it. Just enjoy :)

* * *

White Collar: At Heart

"Neal? Where the hell are you?"

 _'Look down.'_

With his gun raised and on high alert for a threat Peter didn't really have time to be keeping track of Neal at the moment. Flicking his eyes down the only thing that caught his eye was a bright red ladybug that was clinging to the lapel of his jacket. Forgetting his situation for a moment Peter glared at the tiny bug in disbelief until it waved one of its tiny black legs at him.

"Damn it, Neal, can't you shift into something a *little* more useful?!"

 _'No, this is good.'_ Neal's voice rang in Peter's head with a touch of an echo. _'I am much less likely to get shot like this, not to mention I've got a great view from here. Don't worry, ladybugs are good luck. You'll be fine.'_

"You're going to get yourself crushed." Peter pointed out.

 _'I didn't think of that.'_ The bug vanished, replaced by an emerald green lizard that raced up Peter's lapel. Jumping off Peter's shoulder Neal took flight as a kestrel. _'I'll take a look around, see if they are out here.'_

"Don't go too far." Peter warned.

 _'I know.'_

Deep out in the woods Peter kept his eye sharp as well even if he couldn't match the vision of Neal's hawk. They had followed a desperate lead out here, but although the dilapidated cabin they'd found had recent signs of human habitation it was abandoned now. The men they were after were dangerous but due to the unusual nature of the case and Neal's new 'condition' Peter hadn't dared ask for back up. He was already fairly certain that he was insane, he didn't want anyone else confirming that for him.

Neal flew a tight circle above the trees a few times before returning to the ground. Flying was easy, landing not so much, so rather than crash into the leaf litter in a pile of feathers Neal shifted at the last minute into the form he favored the most: a tuxedo colored house cat. Naturally landing on his feet Neal quickly switched into a white tail deer that any hunter would be proud to shoot and hang on the wall. The buck looked a little odd with Neal's bright blue eye color, something that never changed no matter what form he took. Flaring his nostrils he sniffed at the pine scented air.

 _'They're gone, Peter, the only one I smell around here is you.'_ Neal assured before he rubbed his antlers against a near by tree.

"Neal, what are you doing?"

 _'Sorry, instinct.'_ Neal stopped ruining the tree bark. _'You know, I can smell you in almost any form. You've got this whole gun powder mixed with Old Spice thing going on. Very manly.'_

"Thanks." Peter said dryly. "You're sure they are gone?"

 _'I'm sure, deer are surprisingly good at smelling humans. Sorry, Peter, I thought we'd tracked them this time. They were here, but the high tailed out of here.'_

"We'll get them." Peter assured as he holstered his weapon. "Let's just back to the car before it gets dark."

 _'The dark isn't a problem for me any more.'_ Neal shrank back down into the black and white cat.

"It's still a problem for me."

 _'Right.'_ Holding his tail up high Neal started trotting back the way they'd come.

"You are not getting into my car like that." Peter warned as he followed after Neal. "The last time you sprayed."

 _'That wasn't my fault.'_

"Maybe if I got you fixed…" Peter mused.

 _'Don't even think about it.'_ Neal hissed. _'I'm not broken, there will be no 'fixing'.'_

"I still don't want you shedding fur all over my car."

 _'Fine.'_ Neal hissed again only as a serpent this time. _'How's thisssss?'_

"No, no snakes."

 _'You're so hard to please.'_ Neal shook off the snake and ruffled his feathers as a small sparrow and flew up to land on Peter's shoulder. _'No scales, no fur. Happy?'_

"Just don't make a mess on me."

 _'It is tempting.'_ Neal chirped.

Shaking his head Peter resisted the urge to reach up and wring Neal's tiny bird neck. Neal would probably just morph into a bear or something if he did anyway and that could quickly end badly. Between the spraying and now the antler rubbing Peter was starting to become more concerned about Neal's animal instincts. The animal behavior hadn't shown up at first, but the longer Neal stayed in any form the more like that creature he became. Neal had been avoiding any large predator shapes in fear that his first instinct might be to use his teeth and claws on Peter. As Peter walked back towards the car Neal caught himself starting to preen so he changed into a rat so that he could still easily ride on Peter's shoulder. Returning to the road Peter stared at the empty spot where his car should be.

"Where's my car?" Peter asked even though he knew the answer already.

Neal jumped down off Peter's shoulder and landed as a Bloodhound so he could sniff at the gravel where they had left the car. After a quick inspection Neal shifted into a German Pointer and pulled up one paw, straightened his tail, and stretched his neck out to point down the road with his nose.

 _'They went that way.'_

"Thanks, Cujo, that's real helpful." Peter sighed sarcastically.

Neal shifted into a Saint Bernard and bared his teeth at Peter briefly. Unimpressed Peter reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone to call for a ride home. Slinking back into the black and white cat form Neal circled behind Peter. Peter tried several times, but he couldn't get any calls to go through. Cursing at the low reception on his phone Peter froze as he suddenly felt a rush of hot air on his neck just before Neal shoved his shoulder. Closing his eyes Peter refrained from a frustrated sigh as Neal nickered at him.

"No." Peter said firmly. "Absolutely not."

 _'Come on, Peter, it will be fun.'_ Neal stamped his hooves. _'I know you know how to ride.'_

"I know how to ride a horse, I'm not riding you."

 _'What?'_ Neal chuckled. _'You don't trust me enough to 'bare back'? I don't just let anyone ride me.'_

"I can't even pretend I didn't hear that. You know the worst part about this is having your voice directly in my head," Peter said with a sour glare "I can't escape."

 _'The worst part about this is I can't be human again until we close this case and get those crazy gypsies their necklace back. So let's go. Giddy up!'_

"I'm not riding you." Peter repeated.

 _'Fine.'_ Neal huffed with a snort before flicking into a magpie. _'I'll fly home, you can walk.'_

"Neal, we both know you can't go more than two hundred yards from me."

 _'I hate my new radius.'_ Neal complained.

Neal turned around in mid air and started to fly back towards Peter when he suddenly fell from the sky and hit the ground as a heap of red fox. Having been a good eight feet up when he changed it took him a moment to get back to his paws. He shook his head to clear it but he still looked a little dazed.

"Why did you change like that?"

 _'I didn't…it just happened. I don't know why a fo…'_

"Neal?"

Neal had frozen in mid sentence. His black ears twitched as he bunched up his muscles and sprang muzzle first into the leaf litter on the side of the road. Peter stared in horror as Neal lifted his head and turned back to reveal that he'd just killed a mouse. Tasting the blood Neal dropped the dead prey. He scrambled back away from it as he briefly turned into a fluffy white rabbit. Reverting back into the tuxedo cat Neal had his hackles up as he stared at Peter with his blue eye wide in terror.

 _'Peter…"_ Neal mewled _"it's getting worse.'_

"It's going to be okay, Neal. Just try to remember that you're still human at heart."

 _'...but for how long?'_


	2. Chapter 2

NOTE: So I've decided to continue this story on a 'when I feel like it' basis because The Labyrinth is such a dark story and at times I am much more in the mood to just be fluffy and silly. So I thought this as a side project would be a good stress reliever. Don't think too hard about the 'logic' of this set up ;)

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Chapter Two

"Maybe I had a stroke," Peter mused to himself "and this is all some sort of drug induced coma nightmare."

 _'If this is just a drug trip can we pick one that's a little less work for me?'_ Neal complained. _'You are heavier than you look, my hooves are killing me.'_

Peter looked down on his unfortunate mount and shook his head sadly. Being stranded nearly fifty miles outside of the city in the woods Peter had finally broken down and accepted a ride from Neal in the form of a slender white Arabian horse.

"This is so embarrassing." Peter said sourly.

 _'It could be worse.'_

"How?"

Peter yelped as Neal changed under him into a stocky donkey and started braying loudly.

"Neal, stop making an ass of yourself." Peter growled.

 _'Sorry,'_ Neal chuckled reverting into a horse again _'I couldn't resist the easy joke.'_

Closing his eyes Peter tried to will himself to wake up, but when he opened them again the scene hadn't changed. While the sun had still be up Neal had been able to canter in sprints down the dirt road putting some good miles towards getting them back to civilization. However an hour later when it had started getting dark he'd been forced to slow down to just a walk. One misstep and they could both end up grievously injured and far from help. As experienced a rider as Peter was Neal wasn't an easy ride with his high stepping jaunty hot-blooded gait.

Able to walk faster than Peter in his equine form Neal continued to carry Peter down the deserted road. Having gotten into a rhythm Neal's head bobbed up and down in time with his stride. The moon was full and splashed a good amount of silver light on the road, but the forest to either side was heavy with shadows. Luckily Neal hadn't had any more issues with suddenly shifting shapes the way he had when he'd spotted the mouse and reverted into a fox, but the slip in control still concerned Peter. They didn't really know all of the rules of Neal's curse considering all of the chaos that had surrounded it when it had occurred.

With his mind on other things Peter slowly started to lose track of the fact that he was riding his CI and not one of the horses he'd grown up with. As a result when Neal veered off the road slightly to snatch a mouthful of Queen Ann's Lace flowers Peter automatically thumped him in the flank with his heel to correct his course. Jerking his head up in surprise Neal side stepped back onto the road.

 _'Hey, don't kick me!'_ Neal snorted as he bucked a little. _'Need I remind you that you're a guest on my back?'_

"Sorry." Peter apologized. "Habit. But you really shouldn't eat those anyway."

 _'Why not? I'm starving, and they are so tempting.'_

"It's the temptation that worries me. Did that mouse taste good to your fox taste buds?"

 _'No.'_ Neal shook his mane. _'It was disgusting.'_

"But now grass tastes good?"

 _'I see your point.'_ Neal admitted. _'Need to watch out for those animal instincts.'_

"Maybe it's time you shifted again, I think you're becoming too comfortable being a horse."

 _'I am getting used to carrying you.'_

"Reason enough to stop." Peter said as he dismounted not ready to admit that he'd gotten used to being carried. "We're not getting back to the city tonight in any case."

 _'I'm starting to think those guys lured us out here specifically to ditch us in the woods.'_ Neal whinnied.

"Neal, you're still a horse."

 _'Oh, right…um…hey, maybe I could turn into a roc.'_

"What? Neal, you can't turn into an inanimate object. That's a terrible idea."

 _'No, no, a roc not a rock.'_ Neal explained.

"You lost me."

 _'R-O-C, it's a giant mythical bird. I could fly you back to the city.'_

"Neal, no. No mythical animals, things are complicated enough as they are. You turn into a bird the size of a 747 and we would have fighter jets up your tail feathers within minutes."

 _'Humans and their 'air space'.'_ Neal huffed.

"Neal, you are human." Peter said firmly. "But maybe an owl would be a good idea, you could scout out a place for us to bed down for the night."

 _'Okay.'_ Neal nodded and replaced his fur for feathers of a snowy owl. _'Wow, it's like daylight with these eyes. I'll be right back.'_

"Don't go too far."

 _'I know.'_

"Don't kill any more mice."

 _'Have some faith in me, Peter.'_

"I'm trying, but you've never been very good at impulse control."

 _'This is different.'_

"Is it?"

Literally ruffling his feathers Neal took off on noticeably silent wings into the trees to check out the immediate surroundings. Even the deepest shadows in the woods were no match for his vision as he effortlessly avoided the branches in his path. He knew the point Peter was trying to make and even though he hadn't admitted it to Peter yet his current curse wasn't entirely the fault of the thieves they were chasing. Ignoring that detail for now Neal focused on the task at hand.

With as swift as his wings were he needed to be careful about how far he traveled, however once he started to reach the edge of his radius an unpleasant pressure on his heart let him know he was about to go too far. Circling back towards Peter Neal spotted a perfect place to spend a night out under the stars. Landing in the mossy glade that was sheltered on one side by a small cliff and on the other by a ring of trees Neal reverted into a large black wolf.

Neal had planed to shift into a dog when he suddenly found himself in the skin of the domesticated animal's powerful ancestor instead. He had never really thought that there was much of a difference between wolves and dogs until he became one. Savage and wild his loyalty to Peter was suddenly the last thing on his mind as Neal's hunger became the most pressing issue. Tilting his head back to look up at the bright silver moon Neal filled his lungs with the crisp cold night air as the urge to howl to a nonexistent pack to come and hunt with him over took his senses.

"Neal!"

Peter's voice was distant but Neal's keen ears heard him easily. Bringing his head back down Neal curled his lip and exposed his gleaming white fangs at the thought of a human trespassing on his territory. Terrified by the sensation of slipping into the persona of the untamed wolf Neal shook his head and forced himself to change into a husky dog. There was a hollowness in his heart for a moment as he lost touch with the wild creature he had been but he pushed it aside as his new form helped him remember what was truly important.

Trotting over to one of the trees that encircled the glade Neal looked around to make sure no one was watching before he lifted his leg and peed on the tree. He told himself that it was okay to give in to the marking instinct because it was going to help him guide Peter back to the glade. Brushing off his brief call from the wild Neal reminded himself not to shift into any more large wild predators as he used his canine nose to find his way back to Peter. There was a thrill to being the dangerous animal that taking the shape of a dog couldn't replicate, but as tempting as the feeling was the risks were far too high.

 _'I'd never forgive myself if I ate Peter. Besides, I bet he's tough and gamey...probably a little bitter.'_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Neal…what do you think you're doing?"

 _'I'm getting comfortable.'_

"I can't say I'm comfortable having you in my lap like this."

 _'I gave you a ride, the *least* you can do is give me a place to nap. I'm not asking for much.'_

"You do realize you're a skunk?"

 _'What? No, I'm a ca…'_

Neal stopped as he lifted up his giant bottle brush black and white tail. He could feel Peter tensing, fearful that Neal was about to have another one of his 'instinct' moments with disastrously smelly consequences. Sighing inwardly Neal concentrated on tweaking his form back into the black tuxedo cat that he'd originally intended. Neal succeeded in the change but his feline tail was thrashing around with a life of its own. Narrowing his blue eyes at the unruly tail he managed to tame it somewhat, although the tip kept twitching in seeming irritation.

"Are you having trouble controlling your shape again?"

 _'It was an honest mistake.'_ Neal lied. _'I'm sorry.'_

"It's okay. No harm, no fowl."

' _That would have been one foul fowl.'_ Neal chuckled. _'I'll have to keep that form in mind though, there's no negotiating with a skunk, they get what they want or else.'_

"Just promise me you won't turn into a porcupine in my lap."

 _'Now that would be a prickly situation.'_

"Try to get some sleep." Peter said not looking to further encourage Neal's puns.

Nodding wearily Neal rested his muzzle on his paws and closed his eyes. His heightened feline hearing kept picking up on all the various sounds that the forest made at night making it difficult to sleep. It was more the cat's nocturnal hunting nature keeping him awake than the actual sounds themselves. Picking up on the scurrying of some small animal near by Neal's tail started swishing again as it tried to demand that he get up and go investigate. As entertaining as his new ability had been at first Neal was becoming increasingly concerned with losing hold of his humanity as instinct constantly tried to order him around. Being able to run at blinding speeds and even fly was exhilarating but he couldn't help but feel that the new freedom came at the cost of his free will.

 _'…Peter?'_ Neal mewled quietly.

"Yes?"

 _'We're going to fix this…right?_ '

"Of course we will."

Peter had done his best to sound confident but looking down at the small cat curled up in his lap he couldn't even understand how any of this was possible let alone how they were going to fix it. Their lead on the thieves out into the woods had been a tenuous one, and now that it had fallen through they were back at square one. With his the tip of Neal's tail moving in agitation Peter got the feeling that he was having the same doubts.

Not knowing what else to do Peter rested his hand on Neal's soft fur in an attempt to help him feel at least a little safer physically if nothing else. Curling up a little tighter Neal's tail calmed down as he started a gentle purr. Peter wasn't sure how he felt about Neal purring in his lap for a number of reasons, but he did recall reading somewhere that cats purred to help calm themselves just as often as they used it to show contentment so he decided against suggesting that he stop.

Sitting with his back against the small cliff that sheltered the back half of the glade Peter looked out into the woods. The shadows seemed all the darker and more threatening from the contrast of the ethereal silver lit pools from where the strong moon light managed to break through the trees. Just as it was Neal's feline instinct to prowl in the dark it was Peter's human nature that told him to fear it. Reaching into his jacket he unsnapped the strap that held his weapon in his shoulder harness. There really wasn't much out in the woods of New York that posed a threat to him, but it felt better to be prepared.

As the seemingly endless night dragged past Peter found himself starting to nod off. Neal had managed to keep his cat form as he twitched in his sleep, undoubtedly chasing prey in his feline dreams. Peter hated to wake him knowing that they still had a long journey to the city in the morning and that Neal was going to have to do most of the work to get there. The original plan had been for them to take turns on watch, but more than half the night had passed uneventfully, without even so much as a racoon waddling by.

Deciding that they were in no more danger than if they'd been out camping Peter gently moved Neal to keep from waking him as he carefully laid down. Putting Neal on his chest to keep him off the ground he closed his eyes. With more of his own body in contact with the ground Peter shivered slightly from a combination of the cold earth and the slight the nip in the midnight air. Too tired to worry about the cold Peter quickly fell asleep.

Peter groaned sleepily as the dawn light broke into the glade. Laying on his stomach on what felt like a plush rug Peter kept his eyes closed against the intrusive morning sun. Groggy from the late night and the chaotic day it was easy for Peter to dismiss everything that had happened as just some bizarre dream particularly since he was currently extremely comfortable which didn't line up with his vague memory of falling asleep on the cold hard ground. Contemplating just going back to sleep Peter didn't even question the impossibly soft and warm surface he was laying on until it moved.

At first Peter was merely confused by the sensation of his whole body rising up before gently falling back down, but when the motion repeated itself accompanied by a deep snore Peter was jolted awake. With an ice cold wash of adrenaline Peter snapped his eyes open to find that at some point in the night Neal had switched into a gigantic Kodiak bear. Neal was sleeping on his ursine back holding Peter on his chest in a literal bear hug. Probably having gotten cold in his sleep as well Neal had solved the problem by morphing into an animal that had no reason to fear the cold or anything else for that matter. Frozen in place Peter's heart slammed painful against his ribs as he tried to figure out what his best move would be. Raising Peter up with another deep breath Neal yawned lazily, exposing a impressively large set of gleaming white teeth in a powerful bone crushing set of jaws.

Afraid to startle Neal awake Peter didn't dare try calling his name. He tried to carefully move to get off his perch, but the thousand pounds worth of bear holding him wasn't having it. Peter's breath hissed across his teeth as Neal held him tighter with his dinner plate sized paws that held claws that were nearly six inches. Peter's situation wasn't made any better when he heard Neal's oversized stomach grumbling like a roll of thunder.

"I'm going to be breakfast."

To emphasis Peter's point Neal smacked his thick lips as he slowly started to wake up. Peter was starting to hope that Neal might wake gently and could be reasoned with when a crow landed on one of the trees that encircled the glade. Spying the enormous out of place predator in his woods the crow opened its beak and let out a blaringly loud alarm call that shattered the morning peace as he alerted the rest of his flock to the possible threat. Startled awake Neal jerked violently with a snort of surprise and irritation.

"Nea…"

Before Peter could plead his case with the half ton worth of predator that he was laying on he was thrown clear as Neal rolled over. The solitary crow that was still calling out was quickly joined by several others as they threatened to wake the whole forest over the intruder in their midst. Peter scrambled away as Neal reared up on his hind paws and roared in fury at the cackling birds. Landing back on all fours with enough force to shake the ground Neal's gaze met with Peter's as he took a threatening step closer. Peter was horrified to see that there was a hungry intensity in his beady blue eyes that didn't look at all human.

"Neal...wait..." Peter said as calmly as he could as he backed himself against the tree filled with noisy crows. "Neal, it's me, it's Peter."

Slowly coming closer Neal licked his pink tongue over his deep brown muzzle.

"Neal, this isn't funny!"

Peter had been hoping that Neal was just teasing him but when he continued to stalk closer he feared that Neal wasn't in control of himself. Knowing he'd only trigger Neal's instincts further if he tried to run Peter reached into his jacket and drew his weapon. Taking aim at the massive bear he doubted that it would be enough to stop him if he charged, he had heard of even high powered rifle rounds bouncing off the thick skulls of bear. Still at the moment a threat, even an empty one, was all Peter had.

"Neal, stop!" Peter demanded. "Don't make me do this!"

Taking Peter's tone as a threat more than the gun Neal rolled his head to the side as he roared at Peter in a deafeningly powerful voice. The heat and humidity of his breath rolled over Peter as Neal roared again before he tensed his powerful hindquarters. Fearing that Neal was about to charge him but not able to bring himself to shoot him Peter raised the gun up in the air and fired twice at the sky in hopes of frightening some sense back into his wild partner.

The gun shots cracked through the noise the crows were making and caused them to abandon their post in a flurry of feathers. Neal was shocked out of his attack but he was instantly reverted into flight mode as the menacing bear was replaced by a lithe White-tail buck. With his tail raised high in alarm and his eyes dilated wide in fear Neal's hooves tore up the soft moss as bounded into the air. Hitting the ground running Neal bolted past Peter and off into the woods, gracefully avoiding the obstacles in his path as he fled the scene.

"Wait!" Peter cried out in panic. "Neal, don't run! Come back!"

Peter got to his feet to hopelessly chase after Neal but was quickly dropped back down to his knees when Neal sprinted out of his new radius. Peter clutched his chest as a tremendous pressure squeezed down on his heart. When Neal didn't return the pressure was replaced with a nauseating dizziness that spun the world around him.

"Neal, plea…"

Peter wasn't able to finish, with their bond broken he passed out into the leaf litter.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Neal's cloven hooves spirited him through the early morning forest with the speed and ease of a gust of wind before a thunderstorm. With his heart already pounding from fear and drive he didn't even miss a step when his heart skipped a beat as he broke the invisible tether that bound him to his handler. Unlike Peter who had lost consciousness completely Neal suddenly found himself able to run even faster than before. Coming to a large fallen tree in his path Neal lept up into the air with an exhilarating rush as he kicked his graceful back legs out at the top of the arc to ensure clearance.

Landing lightly on the other side he continued at top speed through the trees until he came to a grassy meadow. Slowing down to a walk Neal struggled a moment to remember what he had started running from in the first place. With steam curling around his muzzle with every breath in the damp cold morning air Neal swiveled his large cervine ears around in search of a threat. Finding himself alone Neal stopped and bowed his head down to scratch his forelimb with the front tine of his antlers before snatching a mouthful of wet grass. Content in the lush field Neal continued to rip up the grass with one ear cocked forward and one back to keep him aware of his surroundings.

Neal paused in his feeding when a musky smell twitched his sensitive nose. He jerked his head up when the smell was accompanied by an aggressive snort from across the meadow. A mature White-tail buck stepped out of the tree line twenty yards away and snorted at Neal again. Accepting the challenge Neal lowered his crown of bony antlers and scrapped at the ground with his right hoof. Not about to allow another male near his harem of doe the local buck charged at Neal with violent intent, but half way across the field the massive deer screeched to a halt as he caught Neal's unnatural scent. As lost in his deer skin as he had become it didn't change what Neal was and the mixed nature of his opponent repelled his challenger.

Rearing up on his hind legs the buck literally turned tail and ran. Having been denied the fight Neal faced an uncontrolled switch as his short brown fur morphed into a thick shimmering black coat. With his vision narrowing from the wide angle view of a prey animal to sharp forward focus of a honed predator Neal chased after the fleeing deer with his long canine teeth aching for blood. The buck that had unwisely challenged Neal had already been running but when it glanced back and saw the massive wolf sprinting through the trees towards it the deer brayed in panic and doubled its effort at speed.

Digging in his nails into the soft ground Neal's large padded feet only made contact with the earth for a fraction of a second as he broke into a double suspension gallop that allowed him to use his powerful flexible spine to help him attain top speed as he fully extended his whole body. Neal snapped his back legs forward, over reaching his front paws as he let the rears slam into the ground as he lifted his fore paws up simultaneously to leap forward and start the cycle over again. The explosive gait gave him tremendous speed but at the same took massive amounts of energy as he bared down on his prey.

With his jaw open as he panted and drooled for breath Neal quickly started to over take the buck that had become his only goal in life. In a natural situation trying to take down prey of this size Neal would have a whole pack at his side to not only help him but protect him as well. When hunting together a lead wolf kept the attention of the prey while the others dashed in and took nips and bites at the animal's flank, heels or nose as they slowly wore down their target as the lead slowed it down by forcing it to change direction. On his own Neal had to take the more dangerous route of biting the fleeting deer's hide quarters to hamstring it, needing to take it down with the first bite or risk the deer out pacing him through pure endurance.

Within range Neal pulled his lips up over his teeth in a snarl as he jumped at his intended kill. Pausing at just the right point in its stride the buck lashed out with its back leg at his attacker with his razor sharp hooves in a last ditch effort to defend itself. Neal cried out with the sharp yelp of an injured dog as the deer caught him square in the chest. Knocked to the ground Neal laid in a heap of midnight fur as he fought to regain his breath and senses. Under different circumstances the buck might have turned to finish Neal off with his sharp antlers while he was still down, but the deer wanted nothing to do with the demon that had chased him and fled out of view.

Swallowing hard Neal closed his sapphire eyes that contrasted so starkly with his dark fur as he whimpered in pain. Terrified of laying in the vulnerable position on the forest floor Neal poured all of his strength into getting back up to his four paws. Managing to haul himself up Neal bowed his broad head with his toothy jaw held open as he labored for breath against the combination of pain and excursion. With the chase over Neal felt a nauseating fear close its teeth around his throat as he found himself injured and alone. Tilting his head back Neal howled weakly for help but there was no one to answer. In the trees above him a murder of crows landed and started calling out their piercing alert at the abomination that was hunting their woods. The birds were not a threat to Neal but the sound of their grating screeching sharply brought back the memory of what had caused him to run away in the first place.

 _'Peter!'_ Neal gasped in horror.

Turning around Neal tried to break into a run to return to his friend but his wolf body collapsed under its own weight sending him crashing back to the ground. Having been reminded of the responsibility he had to Peter to keep within range he was desperate to return to him before he lost himself again. Neal didn't know what the consequences to Peter were for him straying too far but he knew that Peter was his only tie to his humanity. Without him he fell deeper into a unforgiving world that was threatening to consume him. There was a tugging in Neal's heart that told him if he just surrendered completely into the skin of a predator that he could find a kind of acceptance in the wild, but it would mean leaving behind everything that had given his life meaning before. There was no living in both worlds. He had to choose and right now he wanted nothing more than to be human again.

Abandoning the body of the massive wolf Neal found some relief from both his pain and the call of the wild in the form of a sleek German Shepherd Dog. Neal lifted his nose and sniffed at the air, he had traveled too far to pick up on Peter's scent but it didn't matter because he had blazed his own trail through the forest. No matter what form he took Neal's own odor never changed, which he suddenly realized was what would always set him apart in the wild. Even if he stepped away from his humanity completely he was never going to be fully accepted by nature. The odds were forever against a lone wolf and Neal would not be an exception. Shaking his head to clear it Neal followed his own trail back towards Peter with an energy effective lopping pace.

 _'I'm not a wolf.'_ Neal growled to himself. _'And I'm not alone.'_


	5. Chapter 5

Note: I promised some of you more humor with this chapter...but I didn't get to that scene. Oops...next chapter. Promise. ;)

Chapter Five

Lost in the chaos of a monotone desolate landscape Peter ran with a desperation born from pure terror. The ground was stark white but there was no snow, the dark gray trees reached up towards a cement colored empty sky that held no sun. With the singular purpose of escaping his pursuer Peter bolted through the unnatural forest with supernatural speed occasionally leaning forward far enough to dig his fingers into the white ground to offer himself better purchase as if running on all fours for short bursts was perfectly natural.

With his heart pounding in his ears he kept expecting his lungs to fail him but he seemed to have an endless endurance. Feeling the specter of death on his heels Peter risked glancing over his shoulder only to find a pure black void in the shape of gigantic wolf closing in on him. With a wash of adrenaline Peter felt as though he had ceased simply running and actually taken flight as he attempted to distance himself from the violent spirit.

Gifted with the same unnatural speed as Peter the onyx shadow gained ground on him as it snarled and revealed a set of shock white teeth set in its inky jaw. In a move that defied all logic and physics Peter continued to flee through the endless woods as he twisted around, gun in hand, to take aim at the beast's chest. He didn't want to destroy the mindless animal pursuing him but when the powerful predator leapt up to attack Peter didn't have a choice.

Before he could take the shot Peter jerked awake from the nightmare with a sharp gasp. Snapping his eyes open Peter cried out when he looked up directly into a long toothy jaw. Knowing he didn't have time to even try to defend himself Peter braced himself for a painful bite only to be harmlessly licked up the side of his face by the creatures sloppy wet tongue. Having been greeted this way by Satchmo whenever he fell asleep on the couch Peter was able to quickly recognize that the blue eyed German Shepherd standing over him wasn't a threat. Although he was still repulsed when he was treated to another slimy lashing to the face.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Peter demanded as he pushed Neal away.

 _'Trying to wake you up.'_ Neal explained sounding anxious. _'What happened?'_

"I'm fine." Peter said unconvincingly as he continued to lay in the leaf litter trying to recover from the nightmare.

 _'You were completely out cold...is that my fault? Did you pass out when I went too far away? Is that what happens?'_

"I guess so." Peter reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose against his hangover like symptoms. "Please don't test it again right now or ever for that matter."

 _'I won't.'_ Neal said quickly. _'I'm so sorry, I didn't know. Are you okay?'_

"I'm fine," Peter repeated "I just nee…just give me a minute."

Disoriented and fighting a headache Peter sat up and dragged the back of his hand across his face to remove the drool. Looking miserable Neal stood in front of Peter with his ears down and his tail firmly tucked. Peter didn't feel that he could actually blame Neal for the incident with the bear or for him running off, but that didn't keep him from fearing that it wasn't going to be an isolated event. After almost being mauled by Neal as a bear it didn't take Sigmund Freud to figure out where the dream about being chased by the wolf came from but one aspect of it did feel out of place.

 _'…Peter?'_

"I usually dream in color." Peter muttered to himself.

 _'What?'_

"Nothing."

 _'Peter, I'm so sorry.'_ Neal whimpered with canine voice as well as the human one that echoed in Peter's mind. _'I don't really…I don't really remember…I think I got cold in the night…did I turn into a bear?'_

"It's fine, Neal." Peter sighed. "The important thing is you came back."

 _'Of course.'_ Neal untucked his tail and wagged it hesitantly. _'You know that I'd never intentionally hurt you…right?'_

"I know, but this morning was a little too close for comfort."

 _'You should have just shot me.'_ Neal said half jokingly.

"Easier said than done."

Hearing the stress in Peter's voice Neal's tail dropped again as he realized that he had put Peter in that exact predicament. It was Peter's automatic reaction to reach out and ruffle the fur between Neal's large ears the way he did to Satchmo when the Labrador wrongfully thought he was trouble. Peter was about to apologize for what could be taken as a humiliating contact but Neal stepped in closer and nuzzled his head against Peter's chest, grateful to have his forgiveness. Peter carded his hand into the thick fur over Neal's shoulder blades and could fell the slight tremor of his muscles from his frayed nerves.

"It's going to be okay, Neal, you just need to focus harder. And I shouldn't have let you sleep, one of us has to stay on watch."

 _'I have to get out of the woods, Peter.'_ Neal whimpered desperately. _'I need the city. There is too much temptation out here in the wild.'_

"I don't doubt that."

 _'But you have to promise me, if I lose it again and I threaten anyone you have to put me down.'_

"I won't let you hurt anyone."

 _'That includes you, Peter.'_

Peter nodded hoping that it wasn't going to come to him having to defend himself or any one else against Neal with lethal force. Peter was just about to ask Neal to specifically stick to dogs and avoid any wolf forms when Neal's large Shepherd ears perked up and swiveled back. Peter reached up to his gun that he'd placed back in his shoulder harness expecting a threat until Neal's tail started wagging violently.

"Neal, no chasing squirrels." Peter warned.

 _'I hear a car, if we're quick you might be able to commandeer it.'_

"I'm commandeering anything," Peter said firmly "but hopefully we can get a ride."

Neal took a few steps to make sure he'd have room before changing into a sleek red chestnut Thoroughbred stallion. Staring up at Neal Peter furrowed his brow, unlike the exotic looking Arabian that Neal had chosen before this form looked exactly like Peter's favorite horse growing up, Ace, right down to the three white socks with the back left one going all the way up to his hock. The only difference between Neal and Ace were his bright blue eyes. Peter had known that Neal was going to chose a horse to get them to the road fast and he wasn't looking forward to the springy stepped Arabian which made the appearance of the Thoroughbred even more surprising since he had been thinking about how much he missed Ace. Peter couldn't recall showing Neal a picture of Ace or ever even telling him about him.

 _'Peter?'_ Neal nickered. _'Something wrong?'_

"Uh, no."

 _'Then let's go that car is getting close.'_

With time a factor Peter got to his feet feeling a little unsteady after the bizarre loss of consciousness. Seeing that Peter was having trouble Neal knelt down on his forelimbs to make it easier for Peter to get up on his back. Once he was sure Peter had his balance Neal took off at a full gallop towards the road. It wasn't until they were almost back to the road that Peter realized how natural it felt to charge at the dangerous speed through the trees. Even in his youth Peter wouldn't have even considered galloping bareback in the woods even if he had a set of reins. A great deal of what it took to not falling off a horse was having the animal move exactly as you directed it to so that you could anticipate your own reaction. Without a bit it was Neal who chose which path to take and yet Peter found himself knowing which direction Neal was going to dodged the trees two hoof beats before it happened.

When they had just been racing down the straight road the connection wasn't something he had noticed. Riding through the treacherous woods it was an unmistakable phenomenon. Not even needing to hold on to Neal's mane Peter rode with the ease of a seasoned horse master. He didn't even worry when Neal jumped over a large fallen log rather than take the longer route around it. The pair landed perfectly and continued on their way in perfect stride. Although exhilarating Peter found the graceful move more cause for concern. Ace had been built for speed but he had never handled even the simplest jump very well and as a result it wasn't a move that Peter had ever excelled at as a rider either. With the way he and Neal had flown over the obstacle anyone would assume they'd been competing professionally together for years.

Getting near the tree line Peter leaned back and Neal automatically slowed down to a stop. Peter was almost reluctant to dismount, but he also didn't want Neal to have to carry him all the way back to the city and no one was going to stop and offer someone mounted on a horse a ride. Slipping down off Neal's back Peter patted his thick neck the way he always had done to Ace after a ride. Luckily Neal didn't seem to take the move personally as he reverted back into the German Shepherd.

 _'I have to say, Peter, you are an excellent rider.'_

"About that…"

 _'The car's coming, we're going to miss it.'_

Neal bounded the last few yards out of the woods and into the side of the dirt road and starting barking to encourage Peter to join him. Hurrying out of the trees Peter turned towards the pick up truck that was speeding toward them and waved his hands in a plea for them to stop. He wouldn't be surprised if the man just kept driving. Peter knew full well how odd it must have appeared to the driver to have a man dressing in a business suit and a police type dog step out of the woods in the middle of nowhere. Peter had the thought that Neal might have been better off being small enough to fit in his pocket but it was too late now. Luckily the driver slowed down and stopped for them. Peter stepped around to the driver's side as the man rolled down his window but kept a few feet back to keep from looking threatening. Playing his part Neal sat down at Peter's side in the heel position as if he was a highly trained working dog.

"You two look far from home." The man greeted.

"We are." Peter nodded as he pulled out his badge. "I'm Special Agent Peter Burke, FBI, this is…uh…Ace."

 _'Ace?'_ Neal questioned. _'You're kidding right?'_

Peter glanced at Neal with a chagrined look.

 _'Although I guess 'Neal' isn't really a very believable dog name.'_

"Good to meet you both. I'm Henry." The man introduced not seeming to notice the silent exchange between man and mutt. "I take it you need a ride back to the city?"

"Just the next town that I can get cell phone reception in would be greatly appreciated."

"I'm heading into town, your phone should work their. Climb on in, Ace can get in the back."

Without even thinking Neal ran around to the back of the truck and leapt up into the back having forgotten that he shouldn't really have understood the conversation. Realizing his mistake Neal flashed Peter an apologetic expression that made him look even more human. Peter just shook his head sadly. Knowing by Peter's look that he was just making it worse Neal sat down in the back of the pickup truck and stared forward as if on guard, doing his best to look like an ordinary dog.

"Wow," Henry whistled impressed "that is one well trained dog. How do you keep him so well behaved?"

"With a great deal of effort."


	6. Chapter 6

Note: Hugs! Thank you all for you're guys support. Things are going well here. I'm not sure when I'll be ready to write Labyrinth again, but I enjoyed getting back into writing with this. :)

Chapter Six

 _'Peter? Peter? Peter…Peter? Peter?'_

"Damn it, Neal, I said 'no'!" Peter growled. "Stop yapping in my head, you're giving me a headache."

Neal put his large canine ears down at being scolded but Peter could sense that it hadn't tempered his desire to keep asking. Henry hadn't needed to take them all the way into town because about half way there they had come across Peter's car abandoned on the side of the road with no fuel. Being a prepared rural man Henry had extra gas in the back of his truck and had helped them get the car running again. Having settled almost too comfortably into his German Shepherd Neal was sitting in the passenger seat with his nose pressed against the window while Peter drove them towards home.

 _'Come on, Peter…'_

"Enough, Neal, stop it. You're like a dog with a…never mind."

 _'Please? Just for a few minutes?'_

"Only if it will shut you up."

 _'It will, I promise.'_ Neal replied with a happy wag.

"Fine, two minutes and then you have to change into some other form."

'Thank you!'

"Who knew you'd be more insufferable as a dog than a man?" Peter muttered to himself.

Neal didn't answer because he clearly wasn't listening he was just over joyed that Peter had agreed to roll down the window. Sticking his head out the window Neal snapped at the rushing air with the enthusiasm of a child playing with a new toy. Peter hated to indulge Neal's instincts but it did offer him a few minutes of relative peace. Looking happier than he had any rights to be considering the circumstances Neal lolled his tongue out in the artificial breeze of the speeding car blowing droll back into the car.

"Alright, that's enough." Peter shook his head sadly.

 _'Such a rush,'_ Neal laughed as he brought his head back inside _'I honestly think that might even be better than actually flying.'_

"It's definitely time you switched forms. How about that cat you seemed to be so fond of?"

 _'Yeah, the cat is fun and all…but there is also just something about being a dog, I can't explain it...I'm almost proud to be one.'_

"You're not a dog, Neal." Peter said firmly.

 _'Right, what I am is starving.'_ Neal said switching into a brown rat. _'You must have dropped some food in here at some point.'_

"Neal, we will be home soon, don't go dumpster diving in my car."

 _'I just want to check around.'_

Peter didn't bother protesting further as Neal jumped down onto the floor and disappeared under the seat. He got uncomfortable when he heard Neal scrambling around under his seat but he kept his eye on the road as they came to the city. It wasn't too long before Neal scrambled back up with what looked like a business card between his teeth. Bring it up onto the passenger seat Neal switched into the tuxedo cat as he stared at the card.

 _'Hmmmm….'_ Neal mused with his tail twitching.

"Neal?"

 _'The guys that we're after dropped this, it reeks of them.'_

"What does it say?"

 _'I have no idea. I…uh…I can't seem to read.'_

"What?"

 _'I can see the shapes and I know they are letters, but they don't mean anything to me anymore.'_

"That's not good. Could you read before or is this a new development?"

 _'I don't know,'_ Neal said with an edge of anxiety to his voice _'this is the first time I've tried to read something since this started.'_

"Don't worry about it right now."

 _'I just realized I'm not going to be able to art like this, I probably won't even be able to appreciate it anymore.'_ Neal mewled sadly. _'It will all just be meaningless shapes and colors…and even my ability to see color is not what it used to be.'_

Staring at the business card Neal fell into the silence that Peter thought he wanted it until he got it. Needing to keep his attention on the busy city streets that they had come to Peter couldn't do much to console his suddenly morose friend. Curling up in a ball of black and white fur Neal tucked his tail over his nose and closed his eyes. Peter glanced away from the road for a second at the miserable looking lump of fur. He wanted to offer Neal some comfort but manage to resist the instinct to pet him like a common animal.

"It will be okay, Neal, we're going to fix this."

Neal opened his bright blue eyes and attempted to force a brave smile but with his short feline muzzle he just ended up baring his tiny sharp teeth at Peter. Frustrated by not being able to properly express himself visually Neal revert to a nosy purring as he closed his eyes again. Unable to do anything more to help Neal right now Peter just concentrated on getting them home. He'd had the foresight when all of this had started to call Elizabeth to tell her he might not be home for a few days due to an undercover mission and not to worry if she didn't hear from him. She hated any time that he had to go risky field missions, but she always understood.

It was just before noon when Peter pulled into the driveway. Elizabeth would be at work so he wouldn't have to explain anything if Neal suddenly couldn't control his form again. Neal looked like he had fallen asleep which Peter hated to admit made him nervous. He didn't want to startle Neal awake and end up with a possible predator in his car. Partly confirming his fear Neal rolled over in his sleep as he simultaneously morphed into a river otter.

"Neal…"

Peter had tried to speak softly but Neal jerked awake anyway. Acting as if he was made of liquid Neal slipped off the car seat and landed in a disorganized heap. The long body of the otter was surprisingly flexible as he twisted around to get to his short legs. Failing to jump back up onto the seat the first time Neal switched into a jackrabbit and easily sprang up. Peter released the breath he had been holding seeing that Neal had managed to keep his form harmless. Reaching over he picked up the small card that Neal had found under the seat. It had a complicated logo on the front side that appeared to be three interlocking 'W's, on the back was easier to read bold face type that proclaimed a shop name, address, and business hours.

"Wesley's World of Wonders." Peter read off the card. "Magic and Curio shop."

 _'Magic?'_ Neal repeated with instant interest, his small pink rabbit nose twitching in excitement. _'That sounds promising.'_

"Usually I'd say there's no such thing as magic, but this could be a good lead."

 _'If my current state doesn't qualify as magic I don't know what does. Even if they don't have the necklace maybe they can still help us get me back to human again.'_

"Quick shower and some food and we'll head right out there."

 _'Food, food first.'_ Neal said firmly as he switched back into the German Shepherd. _'Seriously at this point I'd eat whatever it is you feed Satchmo, he seems to have a nice glossy coat.'_

"We can do better than that for you, but speaking of Satchmo you can't come in the house looking like that."

Neal tilted his head to the side in classic Shepherd style for a moment as he thought before shifting into a sugar gilder. Jumping up onto Peter's arm he crawled across his chest and invited himself inside Peter's jacket before diving into the safety of his breast pocket. Deciding that the form Neal had chosen was as good as any Peter got out of the car and went inside.

As usual Satchmo was right at the door to greet his pack member with his tail wagging ecstatically. However when Peter leaned down to pet the loyal dog Satchmo suddenly backed away from him and tucked his tail between his legs. Looking confused Satchmo stretched his neck out to sniff at Peter. The dog relaxed somewhat but remained wary as he whined. Satchmo circled around Peter as if searching for something before standing in front of him and whining again.

"It's okay, Satch." Peter assured.

 _'He can smell me, but he doesn't understand why he can't see me.'_ Neal explained from inside Peter's pocket. _'No matter what form I take I still smell human, it's confusing for animals.'_

"It's confusing for us all, Satchmo." Peter spoke directly to the dog sympathetically. "You want to go outside?"

All of Satchmo's reservations about the situation vanished at the prospect of spending some time out in the back yard and he raced towards the back door. Opening the door Peter let the dog out into the yard to play. With the canine outside Peter reached into his jacket and fished Neal out of his pocket. Peter set Neal down on the island counter that separated the kitchen from the dinning area and went over to the fridge. There were some leftovers from Elizabeth having eaten alone last night that Peter pulled out. Turning around Peter found a large raccoon sitting on the counter greedily eating an apple he'd stolen out of the fruit bowl. Neal gnawed ravenously at the red fruit causing juice and pulp to run down his furry chest and belly.

"Neal, you're making a mess."

 _'You trying eating without proper hands.'_ Neal said defensively.

"Good point. Do you want some of this chicken?"

 _'I feel a little awkward eating any kind of meat right now…I mean…'_ Neal punctuated his point by turning into a chicken.

"And suddenly I don't want it either."

Putting the chicken back in the fridge Peter raided the cupboards for a box of protein bars that Elizabeth kept in stock. Switching back into the racoon Neal held out his small black hand like paws to let Peter know that he wouldn't say no to the candy bar like snack. Without thinking Peter handed one over still in its wrapper. He was about to offer to open it when Neal used the raccoon's nimble fingers to tear it open himself.

With his hunger mostly satiated by the small meal Peter turned on his real goal for coming back to the house and that was a shower. After a night spent out in the woods he just wanted to get the pine sap out of his hair and get into some clean clothes. Despite his smaller size Neal finished off the protein bar in record time before shifting back into the black and white cat as he followed Peter into the living room. When Peter headed for the stairs Neal jumped up onto the plush sofa seeking another quick nap now that his stomach was full.

"Neal, no, get off the couch." Peter ordered.

 _'What? Why?'_

"Just get down. Don't make me get a newspaper."

 _'Swat me with a newspaper and *will* pee in all your shoes.'_

"Seriously, you can't be on Elizabeth's couch like that."

 _'Elizabeth's couch?'_ Neal raised a wiskered brow. 'You and your wife draw some strange _boundaries_ , Peter.'

"She loves this couch, Neal, so no fur on it, particularly not black fur."

 _'Fine.'_

Rather than getting down off the couch Neal removed the source of the argument by turning into a hairless Sphinx cat. Peter physically jerked back at the nightmarish sight of the pink and wrinkled naked cat that had suddenly appeared.

"What the…" Peter exclaimed in horror.

 _'You said no fur on the couch.'_

Still looking a little shell shocked Peter just took a step back and headed up stairs hoping that a shower could help him wash away the memory of what he'd just witnessed. Chuckling to himself Neal decided to forgo the nap in search of a bath himself. Turning into a blue jay he flew into the kitchen and landed next to the sink. Briefly turning into a colobus monkey he turned on the water and found a comfortable temperature before turning back into the black and blue bird. Hopping into the sink Neal found that he deeply enjoyed ruffling and flicking feathers around under the water as he spray water up onto the counter.

"Hon?" Elizabeth's voice suddenly called out. "Is that you?"

Startled by Peter's wife coming home early Neal scrambled to get out of the sink forgetting to turn the water off. With Elizabeth's steps drawing near Neal panicked as he jumped off the counter and hit the floor. In a split second decision he turned into a yellow lab. Oddly enough shifting shapes helped dry him off, but he still found himself shaking the last bits of excess water off his back in a wave of motion that started with his head and traveled down to the tip of his tail. Elizabeth stepped into the kitchen and froze. Neal wagged at her in hopes that she would mistake him for Satchmo, but she clearly knew her own dog better than that.

"Oh…hello." Elizabeth greeted with a mix of surprise and uneasiness. "Who are you?"

 _'You wouldn't believe me even if I could tell you.'_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Standing under the soothing spray of a hot shower Peter once again hoped against hope that the past twenty-four hours was just part of some vivid dream or even an elaborate hoax. Knowing that not even Mozzie and Neal combined could pull off something this bizarre Peter was forced to face the reality of it despite how much it flew in the face of everything he'd ever known about the world prior to this moment. Trying to relax even if it was just for a few minutes Peter was reluctant to leave the comforting water.

 _'Peter!'_

Jerking back and nearly losing his balance from the sharp sound of Neal's voice echoing in his mind Peter growled in irritation. Welding his eye shut he attempted to block Neal out. Until now Peter had only been able to hear Neal when he was able to see him, but after the events of their ride through the woods he knew their bond was getting disturbingly stronger.

 _'Peter! Can you hear me?'_

"Fifteen minutes, Neal, fifteen minutes without you in my head is all I ask." Peter muttered not expecting to be heard.

 _'Oh, wow…I can hear you. That's so weird.'_

"Please tell me your a bat or something else with extremely good hearing." Peter sighed heavily.

 _'No, I can hear you in mind. I don't think I like it.'_

"I know I don't." Peter huffed. "Leave me alone, if you're still hungry Satchmo has a raw hide somewhere that you can chew on."

 _'No, I need you to come down stairs right now.'_ Neal said urgently. _'Elizabeth is home and she is about two seconds away from calling Animal Control on me.'_

"What?!"

 _'Ouch, don't shout.'_

Turning off the water Peter scrambled out of the shower and quickly dried off before pulling on the sap stained pants that were laying on the floor. Hurrying down stairs he paused for a moment to collect himself not wanting to seemed panicked. Elizabeth was standing in the archway between the living room and the kitchen dining area. Having slowly reached into her pocket for her cell phone she was standing purposefully still so as to not set off the strange dog in her kitchen.

"Hey, Hon." Peter greeted in as casual tone as he could muster.

"Peter," Elizabeth whispered "there's a strange dog in the kitchen."

"I know."

"Oh good." Elizabeth instantly relaxed. "He looks friendly, but I wasn't sure."

Peter joined the pair in the kitchen, momentarily speechless at the sight of Neal as a Yellow Lab with eyes that looked more like they belonged on a Husky. When he'd been a Shepherd his sapphire eyes had been unusually but they were startlingly odd on the blonde dog. Elizabeth looked over her disheveled husband with concern at seeing his hair still dripping and with pine needles stuck to his wrinkled pants. Sensing the awkward tension Neal wagged the tip of his tail.

 _'I tried to be Satchmo,'_ Neal admitted _'but she didn't fall for it.'_

 _'Our dog doesn't have blue eyes, Neal.'_ Peter replied silently.

 _'Oh…right.'_

"Peter?" Elizabeth asked warily. "What's going on?"

"It's…uh…it's complicated." Peter said evasively. "This dog is…uh…"

 _'Is a witness to a crime.'_ Neal provided.

"He's a material witness." Peter offered not having a better lie ready.

"That can't possibly hold up in court." Elizabeth teased.

"No, but we hope that he can help us identify the guy we're after since we don't know what he looks like."

"So the dog belongs to whoever you're after and you think the dog will react to him differently?"

"Something like that."

 _'That's practically believable.'_ Neal chuckled.

"Did Neal talk you into this?" Elizabeth smiled as she turned back to Neal. "Sounds like one of his ideas."

"This is definitely his fault." Peter agreed.

 _'Trust me I'm no happier about it than you are.'_ Neal said defensively.

"He must be well behaved if you got him to follow you all the way to the house without a leash." Elizabeth noted as she crouched down slightly and offered her hand out to Neal. "Are you a good boy?"

 _'Not really.'_ Neal wagged as he trotted forward to Elizabeth. _'But I try from time to time.'_

"I bet you're only good when you want to be." Elizabeth addressed Neal directly as she reached out and ruffled the fur between his ears. "You look like the type to get into the trash when your owner's back is turned."

 _'Me? Never.'_ Neal panted happily as he sat down and tilted his head back under Elizabeth's hand.

 _'Neal,'_ Peter growled in Neal's mind _'what are you doing?'_

 _'I don't want to be rude, I'm supposed to be a do…'_ Neal stopped suddenly as Elizabeth scratched her nails over his ribs causing his back leg to start thumping against the floor with a mind of its own.

"Is that the spot?" Elizabeth chuckled.

 _'Oh, oh yes, as a matter of fact that that *is* the spot.'_ Neal agreed with his tongue lolling. _'Peter your wife is ama…'_

"Enough!" Peter barked.

"Peter?" Elizabeth asked concerned at his jealous tone.

"Sorry, I'm just a little on edge about this case." Peter apologized.

"Neal getting in your head again?" Elizabeth asked sympathetically as she stood back up and faced Peter.

"More so than ever before." Peter admitted.

"I can tell, you never get quite as stressed out as when Neal is involved." Elizabeth reached out and draped her arms affectionately over Peter's shoulders before giving him a mischievous smile. "My next meeting isn't until one thirty. We could work on your stress."

"Oh…uh…" Peter flushed.

 _'Oh, no, absolutely not, you two are not going all Discovery Channel on me!'_ Neal complained with his ears pinned back. ' _Do you have any idea how sensitive my hearing is right now? Not to mention my sense of sme…'_

"I really need to get back to this case," Peter said in an apologetic tone "the faster we can solve the one the better for everyone."

"Alright, if you insist." Elizabeth sighed.

 _'He does.'_ Neal said firmly.

Elizabeth furrowed her brow as Peter shot Neal a dirty glance before heading upstairs to change. Contemplating her husband's odd behavior Elizabeth turned her attention back to Neal. Trying his best to look innocent Neal smile with his long toothy jaw and wagged his tail. Looking down at him she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"You know if I didn't know any better…" Elizabeth mused.

'I think it would be best for everyone if you didn't try to figure this out.'

"There is way too much intelligence behind your eyes…your oddly familiar blue eyes…" Shaking her head Elizabeth took a step back. "No, no. That doesn't make any sense."

 _'I'm still having a hard time with it too.'_

"...Neal?"

Neal didn't want to give himself away but the sound of her calling his name automatically caused his ears to prick. Elizabeth shook her head again as her rational side worked on over drive to deny the connection her instincts were trying to make. Concerned by the way she was starting to hyperventilate Neal was about to call out to Peter when Satchmo barked from behind the back door. Startled by the noise Neal suddenly shifted into a Gazelle before rapidly trying to correct his form but ending up back in the German Shepherd instead of the Lab.

Unable to even yelp in surprise Elizabeth's eyes rolled back to white. Neal scrambled forward to help her, his nails scraping across the title floor. He couldn't think of a form fast enough that could catch her as she fell but as the large dog he was able to at least provide her with a somewhat soft landing as she fainted. Carefully getting out from underneath her Neal looked down on his partner's unconscious wife with empathy.

 _'That was Peter's first response too.'_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Sitting alone in Peter's car with the windows rolled down Neal watched a squirrel digging around in the grass outside Peter's house with intense interest. Licking his muzzle with his pink tongue his alert Shepherd ears and his bright blue eyes followed every motion of the squirrel. He considered switching into a less predatory form to reduce the temptation but then he decided that it was good practice to keep in the skin of the domestic hunter and use will power to keep from chasing down the small twitchy mammal.

However it wasn't long before the thrill of the hunt started calling Neal's name. Getting frustrated both with the squirrel and with what seemed like the hours long wait Neal barked sharply at the bushy tailed yard rat. The squirrel glanced in Neal's direction but didn't seem to consider him a threat. With a sudden overwhelming urge to show the arrogant piece of fur just how powerful he could be Neal was about to launch himself the car window when Peter stepped out of the house. Neal managed to stay in the car but all of his muscles were still bunched up ready for action. When Peter got into the driver's seat Neal tried to turn his attention to him but he couldn't take his eyes of the swishing tail of the squirrel that was still sitting in the yard as if he owned it.

"Neal, do not chase that squirrel." Peter said reading his thoughts easily. "Have some dignity."

 _'How about you just shoot it for me?'_ Neal asked seriously.

"With my issue? I'd reduce it to a red mist." Peter pointed out as he started the car. "Besides the Patterson's next door feed the damn things, they'd probably file a lawsuit against me."

 _'How did things go inside?'_ Neal asked to distract himself from his prey as Peter pulled out of the driveway. _'Did Elizabeth fall for the whole it was all a dream thing?'_

"Not really." Peter admitted with a sigh. "But she accepted the explanation as a personal favor to me for the time being."

 _'You know if we can't fix this you're going to have to tell her the truth. I don't want her thinking I just disappeared on you.'_

"We are going to fix this." Peter said firmly for what felt like the dozenth time.

 _'You don't suppose there's some sort of time limit on fixing this do you?'_

"What do you mean?"

 _'Most curses in the movies have to be lifted by midnight on some random date, it's always midnight like curses can tell time and respect time zones or something.'_

"Let's not worry about that right now."

 _'Hopefully this Wesley guy will have some answers.'_

"We're going to have to be careful, for all we know he sent those guys to steal the necklace. He could be dangerous."

 _'We'll be find, Peter. His name is Wesley.'_

"What does that have to do with anything?"

 _'Twenty bucks says he's a British bookworm that weighs a hundred pounds soaking wet. I think you can take him.'_

"Is this a common stereotype about the name Wesley that I don't know about?"

 _'Yes.'_

"What about Wesley Snipes?"

 _'Snipes doesn't own a magic shop named 'World of Wonders'.'_ Neal said in a mocking tone, rolling his canine eyes.

"And if this Wesley knows magic do you think a gun is going to be any help whatsoever?"

 _'There's no such thing as…'_ Neal paused midsentance and looked down at his paws. _'Okay point taken.'_

The drive out to the arts district that the shop was in didn't take long and with the Federal plates on Peter's car they were able to secure a parking space just a few blocks down. Instead of getting out of the car Peter turned to Neal with a concerned look.

 _'Peter?'_

"Maybe you should stay here."

 _'No way, I'm coming with you.'_

"There are people around here, Neal, what if you can't keep your form?"

 _'I've gotten good at German Shepherd.'_ Neal said confidently. _'It feels good, feels right.'_

"Really? Being a traditional law enforcement dog feels right to you?"

 _'I guess I didn't really think of it that way.'_

"What made you chose this breed? You used to favor that black and white cat."

 _'I don't know.'_ Neal tried and failed to shrug. _'Why does it matter?'_

"With what happened on that ride, and now us being able to hear each other from greater distances our connection is clearly getting stronger and that maybe we should be doing more to try and stop it. This form probably isn't helping."

 _'What are you talking about?'_

"I'm concerned that you didn't pick it. I'm worried that maybe I did." Peter admitted.

 _'You?'_

"Elizabeth is the one who wanted a Labrador. I've always wanted a German Shepherd."

 _'Well then I suggest that you go to the pound and adopt one.'_

"Neal..."

 _'I'm fine, Peter, I have control of this. Just trust me for once.'_

Not liking the turn the conversation had taken Neal pawed at the door handle and managed to pop the door so he could push it open with his nose. Getting out of the car he kicked the door closed again with his back leg. A man that had been walking down the sidewalk came to a dead stop and stared at the un-canine behavior in disbelief. Neal wagged at the guy but the damage had been done, he backed away and quickly crossed the street. Seeing the poor interaction Peter scrambled to get out of the car and join Neal on the sidewalk so that it didn't look like he was unsupervised.

As they walked down the street towards the shop Neal kept to Peter's side in heel position but it didn't keep people from eyeing him with a touch of apprehension, some of them going as far as pulling away when they caught sight of him. He had expected animals to treat him differently but he had thought that human's wouldn't think twice about him in this form. Unnerved by the way people reacted to him Neal tucked his tail and pressed against Peter's leg.

"Neal? Are you okay?"

'Everyone is staring at me, do you think they know something's wrong with me?'

"No, it's because you really shouldn't be walking around without a collar and leash."

'Oh, right.' Neal said sounding relieved. 'Well that's not happening. But I wouldn't say no to one of those FBI capes that the working dogs wear, those thing look sharp.'

"Let's just work on getting you back into a normal suit."

'I did look pretty sharp in one of those too, didn't I?' Neal chuckled.

"No comment."

'None needed.'

Refusing to engage in the conversation further Peter purposefully headed towards the address. Getting to the store front Peter paused and looked around. The tiny shop nestled into the middle of the up scale retail shops looked completely out of place. The ancient looking front windows were grimy making it difficult to see inside in contrast to the bright clean florist and specialty ice cream parlor that flanked it. The stone that the thick glass was set in looked like it was wet to the touch despite the dry sunny day.

 _'This place doesn't smell right.'_ Neal complained pinning his ears back.

"Just stay close."

Reaching into his jacket Peter unsnapped the strap that kept his weapon secure just in case he needed it. Stepping up to the wooden and wrought iron door with a gold symbol carved into it sent a chill down his spine. Open the door caused Neal to whine and raise his hackles, Peter could guess why he had done that considering the musty reek of old books assaulted even his human senses. The inside of the shop seemed larger than the space had looked from the outside but Peter chalked that up to an illusion created by the amount of clutter. There were stacks of books, papers, crystals, dried animals, scraps of leather, and other curios everywhere. The only clear path lead towards the back counter that was made out of a glass case full of oddities where a thin young man with a shock of messy blonde hair and glasses sat reading a comically oversized leather bound book.

 _'That has got to be Wesley.'_

Wesley jerked his head up from his reading as if he'd heard Neal. He seemed calm enough about having Peter in his store but the second he looked down at Neal his eyes got wide. Jumping up from the stool that he had been sitting on behind the counter he put his hands up defensively as Peter and Neal approached the glass case.

"No, no, go away. You can't come in here." The young man said shooing at Peter with his hands. "Didn't you read the rune out front?"

"What?"

"No Warlocks. Get out of my shop."

"I'm not a warlock."

"Sorcerer then, whatever. You're not welcome here."

"I'm not a sorcerer." Peter growled. "I'm a Federal Agent, an increasingly angry one."

"Yeah, right, and I'm only a thousand years old." Wesley mocked sarcastically. "You reek of dark magic, besides it's not like just anyone can find this place."

Losing his temper with the shop keeper Peter reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his badge for Wesley's inspection. Wesley cautiously leaned in a little closer to authenticate the ID. He appeared a little more nervous for a moment but then he shook his head like stubborn child.

"Okay, Agent, fine, whatever, I still don't want anything to do with you. Please leave."

"Please we need your help."

"Unless you have a binding spell or a warrant then go away." Wesley insisted. "I cast you out, you and your Hellhound."

"Hellhound?" Peter furrowed his brow as he looked down at Neal.

 _'Hellhound seems a little harsh but at least this guy seems to know about actual magic.'_ Neal pointed out.

"I don't consort with slavers." Wesley said darkly. "I know a familiar when I see one."

 _'Hey'_ Neal huffed _'I am *not* his familiar.'_

"What's a familiar?" Peter addressed Neal directly.

 _'A magical animal servant.'_

"I guess 'servant' is going a little far. Although…" Peter mused.

 _'Watch it.'_ Neal warned with a quick flash of his teeth. _'Just remember which one of us falls into a coma when the other decides to leave.'_

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute…" Wesley stared at Peter in horror. "Can he talk to you?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I can hear him in my head." Peter admitted. "He can hear me too if I concentrate."

"Is he…" Wesley stopped and eyed Neal suspiciously. "Is he human?"

 _'I was.'_ Neal lamented.

"He is." Peter corrected.

"So this was an accident of some sort? This is all new to you both?"

"Very new." Peter confirmed.

"How long has he been like this?"

"About two days."

"And he hasn't tried to hurt you?" Wesley asked in disbelief.

"No." Peter replied knowing that his answer was only half true.

 _'Peter, that's not entirely true.'_ Neal said apologetically. _  
_

"Then despite what you may believe that makes you a Warlock, Agent Burke."

"I am not a Warlock."

"You must be…friends or not it's the only way you'd be powerful enough to keep him from tearing you apart."


	9. Chapter 9

Note: Sorry about the long break, I do want to continue with this story, it's a fun one! I hope people remember it. Heehee.

Chapter Nine

"I am not a Warlock." Peter growled in a perfect combination of anger and frustration. "I know nothing about magic."

"Magic isn't what Hollywood makes it out to be." Wesley said distastefully. "Warlocks aren't made through knowledge or the study of spells and cutting up animals. Warlocks are born that way, it's just a natural aura that gives them sway over others. Through the centuries only a handful of them have even realized what they are. Even so they are more common than you'd think, although few are are powerful as I'm willing to bet you are."

 _'What makes someone a Warlock?'_ Neal asked even though the shop keeper couldn't hear him. _'Peter, ask him.'_

"No."

 _'Come on, Peter, this guys seems to know something. Although I can't say I trust the way he smells…its almost like his scent is changing. I don't know, I can't put my nose on it.'_

"Fine." Peter sighed in defeat. "What makes someone a 'Warlock'?"

"Warlocks give off an energy that makes them appear to be 'natural leaders', it works on a subconscious level but it changes the behaviors of others. Because of this energy people look to Warlocks for direction, for answers, even for protection. Ever wonder what makes certain cult leaders able to lure people into following them right into the jaws of death or how dictators come to power? A strong Warlock can instill blind loyalty from anyone under the right conditions, even if they don't know that they have the power."

 _'Wow, that really does explain a lot, Peter.'_

"No it doesn't." Peter said firmly. "People are loyal to me because I am honest and I loyal to them. I *earn* the respect of others, I'm not magically charming them into it."

 _'I don't know, that might be true of Jones and Diana…but I honestly never fully understood why I never just cut my anklet and ran.'_

"It's because under that criminal exterior you want to be an honest man."

 _'But if you were a Warlock that would explain how I always just 'knew' you could help me with that. Besides, before I met you I never had any intentions of an honest life.'_ Neal smiled with his tongue lolling. _'Mozzie always said you bewitched me.'_

"No." Peter shook his head not having nearly as much fun with this concept as Neal. "if anyone around here is guilty of casting spells around here it's you."

 _'Me?'_ Neal asked cocking his German Shepard head to the side in a look of confusion. _'What did I do?'_

"No one should fall for even a fraction of the cons you pull, people just naturally want to believe your lies, they want to go out of their way to help you. You are always getting second chances from people, even when they know better they still can't help but to trust you."

 _'You think you should know better than to trust me?'_ Neal asked sounding hurt.

"Neal, you stole a billion dollars worth of treasure and lied to me about it." Peter replied in exasperation.

 _'I didn't steal that treasure, Mozzie did.'_

"It doesn't matter that it wasn't technically you, you still hoarded it, you still lied to me about it and beyond all reason I believed you."

 _'I may have lied, but I was never disloyal. I could be living like a King halfway around the world right now,'_ Neal raised his hackles defensively _'I could have taken that money and ran, but I didn't.'_

"But you didn't tell me about it either and I gave you every opportunity to."

 _'I just…I couldn't.'_ Neal lowered his ears and tucked his tail as his mood shifted. Dropping eye contact Neal stared at the wooden floor with a quiet whimper. _'I'm sorry, Peter, I know you think I can be better than just a con, but I think you might be wrong. The temptation is always so strong, the same way that I'm sitting here as a dog but something in my hear yearns to be a wolf. I can't help myself.'_

Looking down at Neal Peter's stomach knotted in guilt. His new canine form allowed Peter to see just how miserable Neal became when he talked about the possibility that he couldn't change for the better. Even just mentioning the wolf caused Neal's fur to darken. Peter had always tried to believe Neal when he would voice his concerns about not being capable of breaking out of his criminal habits, but it wasn't until he could see Neal's canine body language that he truly understood. There was something far more honest in how a dog wore its heart on its tail that no human expression could ever hope to mimic. In an effort to make amends Peter knelt down to Neal's level and put his hand on Neal's furry shoulder to get his attention.

"I'm sorry, Neal, I shouldn't be bringing up past transgression that I've already forgiven you for." Peter said softly. "And you have been doing a remarkable job controlling your animalistic drives both in our current situation and in your human form. You're right, you could have bolted, and I appreciate more than I think you know. However I can't accept the idea that 'magic' made you stay and not your promise to me."

 _'I'm sorry, didn't think of it that way.'_ Neal apologized sincerely as his ears perked back up. ' _It wasn't magic, Peter, as much as I couldn't bring myself to give up the treasure I still valued you more.'_

"And I don't know better than to trust you, I know that I can." Peter assured. "Maybe not always with treasure, but certainly with my life."

With his long toothy jaw split into a grin Neal wagged enthusiastically as he lifted his head back up. Neal's coat brightened once more from the near onyx it had turned back into the traditional Shepherd colors. Wearing the skin of a dog Neal had lost any power he may have once had to lie as Peter could easily read his thoughts without even hearing them.

"Don't lick me." Peter warned.

 _'You're not fun.'_ Neal chuckled.

"Well…that was…interesting." Wesley suddenly spoke up in a nervous tone.

Peter stood back up and faced the thin man standing behind the counter that he and Neal had been ignoring for the past few minutes. Peter had gotten a little too used to odd internal conversations with Neal making adding a third party that couldn't hear half of what was going on a little awkward. Neal pushed forward on his paws a little further and sniffed at Wesley.

 _'This guy is definitely changing scent.'_ Neal confirmed. _'It's very subtle and I don't know what it means, but you never seem to change smell on me like this guy is. Although now that I think about it Elizabeth kind of…'_

"I'm sorry, Wesley." Peter cut Neal's rambling off. "Things between Neal and I have always been a little complicated and this whole situation isn't helping. We need to fix whatever this is."

"Understandable." Wesley smiled with an anxious edge. "Am I to understand that Neal is some sort of criminal? How exactly does that work, I thought you were FBI."

"I am. Neal my CI."

"He…uh…he wouldn't happen to be physically attractive in his human form?" Wesley asked hesitantly. "Like stand out in a crowd type beautiful? I can already see he has the eyes for it."

 _'Peter, I don't like this guy, something's wrong. Beyond the fact that he's getting creepy with the questions.'_ Neal said as he took a step closer to Peter's side. _'His sent is getting stronger by the second.'_

"Why do you ask?" Peter said sounding casual but preparing himself to act if he had to.

"I know you're not sold on the Warlock idea, so you're probably going to believe me even less when I tell you that I think your friend might be something even rarer than a Warlock. Something that could potentially be a huge problem."

 _'Peter, we have to get out of here.'_ Neal warned. _'This guy is starting to reek.'_

"Beauty, charm, an ability to make people believe lies, all mixed with 'hoarding treasure' as you put it…it all points to one thing."

"What might that be?"

"Agent Burke, I think your CI is a Dragon."

"A…dragon." Peter repeated incredulously.

 _'I'm not a dragon, I'm human!'_ Neal bared his teeth. _'Peter, I think I know what I smell on him…I think it's fear.'_

"I hope I'm wrong, I really do." Wesley continued. "I mean I'm not sure anything like this has ever happened before."

"What are you talking about?" Peter asked as he reached into his jacket to rest his hand on his weapon.

"Dragon born and Warlock born have been mortal enemies since the beginning of time, their magic doesn't work on one another and that's always caused conflict. However, if you two really are true friends that could either be a sign of great peace or it could possible be…well…it could be a powerful portent."

 _'A portent of what'?'_

"A portent of what?"

"The end of Time."


	10. Chapter 10

NOTE: I'm having way too much fun with this. Heehee.

Chapter Ten

A profound silence had fallen over the odd little shop after Wesley's announcement about the possible end of Time. The sudden halt to conversation hadn't been caused by the shock of the revelation. It had been a directly result of Peter's already strained patience coming a hair's breadths from snapping. Neal could physically feel Peter's angry tension as it caused the hackles between his canine shoulders to rise up. The stench on Wesley that Neal had decided was being caused by fear shifted slightly as his fear degraded into nervous uneasiness. Neal had always believed that the saying 'dogs can smell fear' was just a metaphor, but he was finding that it was literal. Peter took a deep breath and released it slowly as he mentally counted to ten.

"Okay," Peter finally broke the silence as he struggled to keep the mounting frustration out of his voice "let's just for a moment pretend that Neal and I aren't going to end the world. Can yo…"

"I didn't say that you were going to end the world," Wesley interrupted "I just said that you were a possible portent to it. I mean you two might have a part to pla…"

"Stop talking. Right now." Peter ordered firmly. "I need you to focus. I don't want to hear another word about warlocks, dragons, portents or anything along those lines. I'm not interested in any of that madness. What I need to know is can you make Neal human again?"

"Uh…maybe?" Wesley said sounding doubtfully.

 _'I don't like the sound of 'maybe', Peter.'_ Neal growled. _'I don't want this guy mucking around with me if he doesn't know what he's doing.'_

"I need better than 'maybe'." Peter voiced Neal's concerns.

"I'm sorry, I'm mostly a librarian and historian. I only deal in small magic and antiques. I assume this is a curse and that's not really my expertise. How did all of this even happen?"

"We don't really know." Peter said. "We got an anonymous tip on a jewelry heist, by the time we got there it was already in progress. Neal and I got separated and the next time I saw him he was like this and his voice was ringing in my head."

"What does he say about what happened?"

"He says he doesn't remember." Peter said with a slightly accusing tone as he looked down at Neal. "But maybe considering how dire the situation is becoming something has come back to him?"

 _'Okay, okay.'_ Neal admitted putting his ears down in guilt. ' _Maybe…I picked the necklace up first.'_

'Damn it, Neal.' Peter swore as he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 _'I didn't steal it.'_ Neal whined defensively.

'I should have know.' Peter muttered.

 _'I was protecting it, I figured it was safer in my pocket than…'_

'Than what?' Peter interrupted angrily. 'Than in the actual safe?'

 _'It wasn't in the safe. It was just sitting out on a red pillow, right in the open, no protection.'_

'Sitting out?' Peter questioned.

 _'Yes, I swear.'_

'Like…bait?'

 _'I didn't think of that. You think I was meant to pick it up?'_

'I don't know, but this is why you need to tell me the whole truth about stuff like this from the start.'

 _'I'm sorry.'_ Neal apologized tucking his tail slightly. _'I was a little busy freaking out about having paws, and then later it just didn't seem like a detail that helped anyone. You were already so upset…'_

'It's fine, Neal.' Peter sighed. 'What happened after you picked it up?'

 _'I told you, they knocked me out. Right after I picked up the necklace there was a flash of pain from behind and I woke up with fur.'_

'The thieves knocked you out or the necklace knocked you out?' Peter mused.

 _'That's a really good point. I guess I don't know. You're right, I should have told you about this.'_

'Yes, you should have.' Peter agreed.

"Uh…" Wesley said as he cleared his throat. "Why are you two just staring at each other? This is getting really uncomfortable."

"Was I not talking out loud?" Peter asked, although the moment he actually used his voice he realized he hadn't been.

"No." Wesley said. "No, you weren't. You two can communicate back and forth? Not just him to you?"

"It's a recent development."

 _'He also passes out if I get too far away.'_ Neal added even though Wesley couldn't hear him.

"I'm starting to think that whatever is going on here is above my pay grade." Wesley said anxiously as he started to stink of fear again.

 _'Someone pays you?'_ Neal asked doubtfully looking around the cluttered run down shop.

"I think you two should leave."

"No, please, you have to help us." Peter said.

"I don't want any trouble and you two are full of it." Wesley said darkly. "This is exactly why I don't let Warlocks into my sho…"

When Wesley started to reached under the counter that separated them Neal found himself automatically going on the defensive, assuming Wesley was going for a weapon. Jumping in front of Peter Neal reared up and slammed his fore paws on the glass counter. Baring his teeth at the shop owner he silently dared him to make another move. Startled by Neal's sudden aggression Peter jerked back and in doing so he tripped as he knocked into a flimsy display shelf that had been directly behind him. Losing his balance Peter fell backwards through the shelf, crashing to the ground in a cacophony of broken wood and glass. Glancing back at the mess Neal yelp at the sight of a cloud of purple haze that had plumed up from the wreckage, but he quickly pulled his attention back on Wesley in case he attacked.

"No!" Wesley exclaimed distraught.

 _'Peter?!'_ Neal cried. _'Are you okay?'_

Torn between wanting to help Peter and still feeling the need to guard against Wesley's intentions Neal kept his muzzle pointed at the shop keeper. Wesley put his hands up in surrender showing that he had a small slip of paper in his hand.

"I…I just wanted to give your partner this." Wesley squeaked. "I was going to write down the name of someone who might be able to help."

 _'Peter?'_ Neal barked. _'Talk to me!'_

"I'm okay." Peter replied groggily.

 _'Are you sure, your voice sound weir…'_ Neal stopped cold as he glanced over his shoulder again.

"Oh dear." Wesley said as the purple smoke cleared.

Sitting up with his eyes closed to protect them Peter reached up and brushed the glittery purple dust off the front of his jacket. Taking his paws down off the counter Neal turned around and stared at Peter not sure he could believe his canine eyes. In the spans of about ten seconds Peter regressed in age at least twenty years. Unaware anything was wrong Peter rubbed the powder off his face and opened his eyes. Peter looked at Neal who was staring at him with his long toothy jaw dropped open. The rest of the iridescent purple powder vanished on its own having completed it's task of cutting Peter's age in half leaving him in his early twenties.

"What?"

 _'Uh…'_ Neal replied.

"I knew you two were trouble." Wesley sighed. "That was a really expensive spell."

Starting to worry Peter looked down and jolted in shock at not immediately recognizing the backs of his own hands. Scrambling to his feet with far more quickness than Neal was used to seeing from him Peter raced over to a large mirror set in an ornate gold frame. Stunned Peter stared at the drastically younger version of himself that was staring back at him in a now slightly ill fitting suit.

"What?!" Peter exclaimed in horror. "No, no, no…"

 _'Relax, Peter, it could be a lot worse.'_ Neal chuckled. ' _Like Wesley said people pay a lot of money for that spell.'_

"I can't go home looking like this!" Peter snarled at Neal.

 _'What? You look good. I'm sure Elizabeth won't mind.'_

"This is a problem for both of us, Neal, this is going to make everything harder to deal with. I can't do my job like this."

 _'Why not?'_

"I barely look old enough to *drink* let alone be a Federal Agent! I'm going to get myself arrested if I try to pass myself off as one."

' _You're right, I really can't take you seriously like this.'_ Neal's canine jaw split in a wide grin. _'You've lost like 99% of your authority with that baby face.'_

"I still have my gun." Peter warned Neal frustrated by how his voice had gained half an octave. He stalked back over to Wesley. "Fix this, now!"

"I can't." Wesley said putting his hands up submissively fearing Peter was about to turn violent. "I mean, I can fix this, just not right now. I don't really get any call for 'aging' spells, everyone wants to be younger. I don't keep the ingredients on hand."

"How long will it take to get them?"

"It's not that easy. For starters I need a pure white feather…"

"How hard could that be to get?" Peter asked.

"…off a crow." Wesley finished.

 _'No problem.'_ Neal said helpfully.

Neal jumped up into the air as he transformed into a jet black crow. After landing on the glass countertop he ruffled his slightly iridescent feathers and shook the color out of them, leaving him a startling white. Neal used his ivory beak to root around in his chest feathers before selecting a larger one and plucking it out. Completely frozen in place Wesley just stared at Neal offering him the feather in horror.

"Yo…you didn't tell me he was a shapeshifter!" Wesley stuttered.

"Of course I did." Peter said exasperated. "That's the whole reason we're here!"

"You told me he was turned into a dog not that he could turn into anything!" Wesley shot back. "This is a totally different problem! A much more dangerous one!"

 _'Do you want the feather or not?'_ Neal cawed in irritation.

"He wants the feather." Peter confirmed. "Take the feather, get me back to normal."

"Uh, okay. I guess this will work." Wesley hesitantly took the feather. "Can we talk about the shapeshifting now? Does he had full control over it? Over himself?"

"For the most part." Peter replied.

 _'I'm getting better.'_ Neal said proudly as he flew off the counter and landed as a bright white German Shepherd. _'Okay, maybe not perfect control. Although, Peter, what do you think of this coat color?'_

"No." Peter shook his head. "I prefer the traditional markings."

 _'Fine.'_ Neal shook and color raced down his back. _'White fur is probably really hard to keep clean anyway.'_

"A shapeshifting Dragon with a Warlock handler…" Wesley rambled to himself. "How…uh…how did you two even find me in the first place?"

"The men who stole the necklace and later my car left your business card under the seat."

"Business card?" Wesley questioned. "I don't have business cards."

"I have it right here."

Peter reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the card. Offering it to Wesley he looked at his own hand uneasily, in no way adjusted to his new body image. Wesley hesitated but he took the card. Looking at it he flipped it over a few times before looking up at Peter with a confused expression.

"There's nothing printed on this."

 _'That's not good. Maybe all of this was a trap of some kind.'_

"Let me see that." Peter snatched the card back and confirmed that it was now blank. "Damn it."

"I run an illegal magic shop, I don't have business cards."

"So how did we end up here?"

"…Fate?"


	11. Chapter 11

NOTE: Sorry about the long break, but I have finally figured out where this story is going so hopefully I'll be able to update it faster if people are still interested in it. Hugs!

* * *

Chapter Eleven

"This is a nightmare."

 _'Relax, Peter, try to enjoy it.'_ Neal chuckled. _'You look good.'_

"I feel ridiculous." Peter sighed looked down at his de-aged hands. He'd had to put his ring in his pocket since it kept slipping off his sleeker finger and his suit didn't quite fit right anymore as it had become a little too loose in the waist and too tight in the arms and shoulders from the younger and stronger physique.

 _'Hey at least you get to be human.'_

"I just pray that feather you gave Wesley works and doesn't end up making things worse."

 _'That's a good point, it wasn't really a crow feather per se.'_

"Let's just work on your curse and then we can figure out mine. We need to find that necklace, you should have told me sooner that you touched it, clearly it started all of this."

 _'I couldn't help myself.'_

"Did you even try?"

 _'I did, I swear.'_ Neal put his ears down with a look of remorse. _'I'm sorry.'_

"It's okay, Neal." Peter sighed. "The important thing now is getting this fixed. But no more secrets."

Neal nodded which was an odd looking motion in his German Shepherd form. Walking back towards his car Peter inspected the business card Wesley had given him. The address didn't exactly inspire confidence since it appeared to be an abandoned subway station. With as much madness as he had witnessed in the last forty-eight hours Peter decided not to question it. Having learned the Neal was a full blown shapeshifter Wesley had urged them to go talk to the supposed psychic that the business card belong to while he worked on the aging spell that was going to take a few days. Not feeling very hopeful but without any other leads Peter had agreed.

"Awe, he's so cute." A feminine voice broke Peter's train of thought. "What's his name?"

"Wha…what?"

Looking up from the business card Peter had to turn around to find that Neal had stopped and had an attractive young woman bending over him ruffling his fur.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked incredulously.

 _'She pet me first.'_ Neal said defensively as he leaned into the woman's hand.

"Get over here!"

 _'She smells so good.'_ Neal commented as his tongue lolled out happily.

"It's okay, I don't mind." The woman looked up at Peter with a flirtatious smile "I love dogs. Hi, my name's Heather."

"Agent Burke." Peter replied automatically.

"Agent?" Heather replied impressed. "Does that mean this is a working dog? I certainly hope you're not going to arrest me for petting your partner, not that I'd resist."

 _'Oh wow,'_ Neal chuckled _'she stopped me to get to you, Peter. Classic move.'_

"Wha…what?" Peter asked confused.

"Come on," Heather smiled "let me buy you a cup of coffee to make up for my little indirection."

 _'She's good.'_ Neal wagged. _'Agressive too, I like her.'_

"No, thank you. I'm on duty." Peter declined politely. "We have to go."

"Wait," Heather rummaged in her purse before finding a pen and scrap of paper that she quickly wrote her number on "take this, just in case you want to question me later."

When Peter didn't take the piece of paper Neal stretched his neck up and gently took it between his teeth. Heather praised Neal for being a good boy as he trotted up to Peter and presented him with the number. Grinding his teeth together Peter snatched the paper from Neal's jaws and shoved it into his jacket pocket.

"Good luck catching the bad guys, Agent, or bad girls for that matter." Heather winked before turning away and walking off with a slightly exaggerated swing to her hips.

 _'That was fun.'_ Neal chuckled.

"Do it again and I'm putting you on a short leash, literally." Peter growled.

Not taking Peter's threat seriously but feeling a little guilty for upsetting the happily married man Neal rubbed his shoulder against Peter's leg in apology. Used to Satchmo apologizing for getting into the trash in the same manner Peter automatically reached down and rubbed between Neal's large ears to let him know he was forgiven. Neal wagged but Peter jerked his hand back as if Neal had just threatened to snap at him.

 _'Peter?'_ Neal asked concerned.

"I have to stop treating you like a dog."

 _'I've been saying that for years.'_ Neal teased.

"I'm serious, Neal, you also have to stop acting like one. Maybe you should change into something else, you're getting too comfortable in this skin."

 _'Peter, there are people around. I can't just shift in front of everyone.'_

"Good point." Peter nodded. "We are almost back to the car, you can change there."

Back on mission Peter picked up his pace back towards the car keeping his head down to advertise that he had places to be and hopefully dissuade any more embarrassing interactions. Although he had just been warned about his canine behavior Neal still fell into classic 'heel' position as he easily kept up with Peter. Getting back to his car Peter stopped short.

"You've got to be kidding me." Peter sighed.

Neal left Peter's side as he cautiously stepped up to the slashed tire and sniffed at it. The hair on the back of his neck rose up as he identified the scent. Circling the car revealed the back tires had been cut as well.

 _'Peter, someone is playing with us. These are the same guys who lead us out into the woods.'_

"But why? What do they want?"

 _'I don't know. Maybe they are trying to slow us down?'_

"I don't think it's that simple. The fact that they know we came here means they left that disappearing ink business card to Wesley's intentionally."

 _'Why? He wasn't all that helpful nor did he try to hurt us.'_

Furrowing his brow Peter lifted up his hands and inspected them thoughtfully.

 _'Peter, that was an accident.'_

"Was it?" Peter asked seriously. "Did I really fall back or was I pushed?"

 _'So what do we do? Should we not be going to this Psychic? If Wesley is part of this doesn't that mean it's a trap?'_

"I don't know. If they wanted to set a trap they could have just done it at Wesley's." Peter thought for a minute before making a decision. "We don't have any better leads, we need to keep playing along."

 _'If we're going on foot we can cut through Central Park.'_

"Just don't chase any squirrels."

 _'Maybe I'll trying being one once we get there. Kind of the opposite of a dog, might be good for me.'_

"Good idea."

With at least some semblance of a plan they set out for the Park. The sky above had been getting progressively darker with rain clouds and was now threatening to actually rain. Walking down a street of mostly business and restaurants towards the Park something fowl yet oddly enticing kept catching Neal's keen nose. Stopping at a cross alley Neal sniffed at the humid still air with his ears perked forward to catch a hint of a faint scratching sound.

"Neal? What's wrong?"

 _'I don't know. I think something's back there, something unnatural.'_

"Something or someone?" Peter asked as he reached into his jacket and unsnapped the strap that kept his gun secure in its holster.

 _'It's not human. It smells weird, like rot but…sweet. It makes my teeth hurt.'_

"What?"

 _'I'm going to check it out.'_

"Neal, no, wait."

Ignoring Peter Neal stepped into the dark alley to investigate. Picking up each paw carefully he was able to move virtually silently. The scent was getting exponentially stronger as a few drops from the clouds above struck the ground. Entranced by the hunt Neal stalked towards the narrow street that ran behind the businesses. Neal had not been speaking metaphorically when he mentioned his teeth and the closer he got to the source of the smell the more they seemed to ache. Licking his muzzle Neal didn't even notice that he was starting to drool nor was he aware that his fur growing darker and thicker as each step took him closer to the wolf as he left his dog side behind.

Coming to the back street Neal peered around the corner and froze at the sight that greeted him. A bizarre creature about twice the size of a house cat had knocked over a trash can and was rooting through the garbage. With the tail of a rat but back legs more like a kangaroo and a row of spikes sticking up out of the fur running down its back it was unlike anything Neal had ever seen. Staring at the creature that still had its head buried in its meal Neal could feel his muscles tighten up with the desire to spring on the unsuspecting animal and tear into it. His predatory draw toward the twitching creature caused Neal's claws to dig into the concrete.

With his heart pounding in his ears Neal fought the instinct to kill but wasn't able to break free enough to actually back away. Growling in a deep vibrato in an effort to control himself Neal startled the creature. Lifting a hawk like head that held giant pale eyes the beast squealed in terror in a voice so high that it hurt Neal's ears. The split second that Neal cringed from the sound was all the distraction the animal needed to scramble down the near by storm drain. Panting for breath Neal couldn't help but feel disappointed that he failed to even try to snap the strange alley intruder up in his jaws. With his blood washing power and frustration through his veins Neal took a deep breath to try and calm himself.

 _'Peter? Did you see that? What was that thing. …Peter?'_

With the same stench of fear that had radiated off Wesley suddenly reaching Neal's senses he slowly turned around. Standing half way down the alley Peter had his weapon trained on Neal and a terrified look reflecting in his dark eyes. Confused Neal went to take a step closer but stopped when Peter tensed and switched his index finger from resting on the side of the gun to against the trigger. Neal didn't mean to but the increase in the threat level in the air caused him to lay his ears back aggressively.

 _'Peter…what are you doing?'_

"Neal, calm down, please, please don't do this."

 _'Me calm down? You're the one with the gun pointed at me.'_

"Neal, I know you're still in there. Tell me you're okay, talk to me."

 _'I am…wait, can you hear me?'_

Only hearing a deep threatening growling Peter still couldn't bring himself to fire on his friend despite his monstrous new form. As Neal had moved down the alley he had tripled in size as his fur grew out dark and wild. After losing interest in his prey around the corner Neal had turned around revealing a set of teeth too large for even his enormous muzzle causing him to drool and snarl with every breath. His eyes were no longer just blue they actually glowed with an eerie inner light as he silently stared Peter down aggressively. With his gun still raised Peter knit his brow as he caught sight of a silver and sapphire gleam showing through the thick black fur around Neal's throat.

"Neal, if you can understand me I need you to change back or at the very least lay down."

Neal pulled his lip away from his gleaming teeth but it was hard to tell if he was becoming more agitated or if he simply couldn't close his jaws with the giant fangs he had grown. Peter relaxed slightly when Neal looked down at his oversized paws tipped in long curved claws and jolted in surprise. The motion showed that he hadn't been aware of what he had become. Tucking his tail and lowering his pointed ears Neal whined in fear before he awkwardly laid down and stared at Peter pleadingly for help. Seeing Neal's soul shining through the beasts glowing eyes once more Peter holstered his weapon.

"It's going to be okay, Neal. Just stay calm."

With his jaws still dripping Neal put his head down on his paws and whimpered again. Looking like he was in pain he started panting heavily. Peter approached slowly keeping his intentions to help clear. Even laying down Neal's broad shoulders still came up to Peter's waist however as Peter drew closer Neal's unnatural size was slowly starting to diminish. By the time Peter was close enough to touch him Neal was closer to the size of a normal wolf even though his appearance was still more mythical than natural due to his exaggerated proportions.

Peter carefully got down on his knees in front of Neal. He paused when Neal took a shuddering breath and released it as a guttural sigh. The stone chained around Neal's throat glittered brightly and Peter had the sudden hope that he might be able to end all of this if he could just get it off him. Neal whined again in a high anxious tone as he tried and failed to communicate with Peter through their psychic link. Hoping to comfort him Peter cautiously reached out and stroked the midnight wolf's course fur.

Touching Neal instantly caused the fur under Peter's hand to soften and tame. Peter watched in fascination as color seeped back into Neal's coat. In just a few seconds the corrupt wolf was gone and the dog was back. Unfortunately along with the more natural form the necklace had once again disappeared from view. Peter continued to smooth out Neal's fur in hopes of further calming him. Neal shivered as he started yapping in his canine voice.

 _'…Peter, Peter can you hear me? Please!'_

"I can hear you." Peter assured with a sigh of relief himself.

 _'Peter!'_ Neal cried happily. _'Wha…what happened?'_

"I don't know, but I found the necklace."

 _'What? Where is it?'_

"You're wearing it."


End file.
